Who is on your board of directors?
A board of directors typically means, “a group of persons chosen to govern the affairs of a corporation or other large institution.” Do you think of yourself as your own corporation? If not, you should.
Every young professional needs a board of directors. Yes, I said directors. For example:
1. “Friend” mentors
2. Workplace mentors
3. “Big-Gun” Mentors: company/industry leaders you admire
4. Peer Mentors
The Go-Getter Girl’s Guide points out these interesting facts from Catalyst, the leading non-profit research and advisory organization for women in business:
56% of female senior executives said having an influential mentor or sponsor was important to their career success.
Over 69% of those with mentors were promoted, compared with 49% of those with no mentors. In addition, the greater number of mentors that respondents currently had, the greater the number of promotions they received.
When reaching out to those who you’d like to be your mentor, keep in mind that they probably have a very limited amount of time. They will not be your best friend, you will not call them after a tough day, and it is rare if you get to hang out with them regularly. Rather, lean on your mentors for big decisions such as deciding between job A and B, considering a career change or dealing with an unusual situation at work.
A simple email is a great way to start. Keep it brief. Give your background and education in a few sentences, briefly tell the person why you admire their work and how it inspired you. Then simply ask if the person would be willing to chat with you for ten minutes about their expertise/career/knowledge of opportunities/experiences or whatever you need.
Do you have mentors? How have your mentors helped you in your career?
Do you feel that mentors are especially important for women considering we often like to discuss before making big decisions?
Your homework this week is to reach out to someone new, pay them a compliment and begn a dialogue with them. Get over being uncomfortable. You have nothing to lose. People love talking about themselves and helping others. And if they don’t respond? Move on to another mentor and don’t take it personally. Let us know how this goes!
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If anyone can relate to where you're at in your career, it's Nicole Crimaldi: Nicole spent 5 years in corporate America, switched career paths, worked at a start-up, survived a layoff and is now self-employed. Nicole believes that career satisfaction is a huge part of overall happiness. Therefore, she started Ms. Career Girl to help other women get off the treadmill and onto a more fulfilling path.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
I think that mentors/personal board of directors/board of advisors is a very good thing for anyone. I recently attended a week-long leadership seminar (in November), that was very intense, and with a small group of people (7 total). The seminar was great, but even better – was what came out of this – a group of six people (strangers when the week started) who know me very well and are there to support me on the journey. And, it’s not all about just saying nice things – this is a group of people who will share what they truly believe, which is so good. Sometimes it’s an encouraging word as I head down life’s path, and sometimes it’s thoughts on “why am I doing this”. And it is an invaluable group that is trusted and honest.
Anyway, speaking from personal experience, I whole-heartedly believe in the power of having trusted advisors/mentors in our lives…
Wow the leadership seminar sounds amazing and like it would be potentially life changing. Where was the conference and what is it called? I’d definitely be interested in attending something like this.
I think the biggest perk to having mentors that aren’t your best friends is that they will be HONEST with you rather than worry about hurting your feelings. In my opinion, a good mentor should occasionally have you leave meetings feeling temporarily pissed off. I say this only because you will grow, learn and make changes from their feedback that will ultimately help you.
Wow- this is such a simple concept, but so true and helpful! I like the categories of mentors (friend, peer, etc). I hadn’t thought of them that way before.
Thanks for the great post! It’s also a reminder to stay connected to past employers and past mentors.
Nicole,
This leadership workshop was, by far, the best workshop/seminar I have ever attended. It’s based out of Raleigh, NC – and is called The Leadership Trust. A wonderful organization!
I did a short write up about it here: http://www.jungleoflife.com/2009/12/03/raoka-beauty/
Nicole ~ this is a great post! Everyone should have a Board of Directors or support system. It is the only way to be successful. I have mine and with the help of this article can now put them into categories.
@Lance the Leadership conference sounds excellent!
Happy New Year
@Angela and @Colleen: Yes, I agree it is so important to build this support system but a lot of people don’t think of growing “relationship equity” until they are freaking out about a possible lay off, a terrible situation at work, or perhaps they get a big opportunity but aren’t sure exactly how to play it out. And at that point, it is likely that you will make rash decisions without guidance that may not always be the right ones.
Glad you liked the post
When I was in college I had several mentors that consisted of professors, directors, bosses, etc. Since I recently graduated, however, I’ve lost touch with those mentors. I think it’s time to rekindle and also make new mentors. I’m glad I read this post.